St. Mary’s Health Clinics awarded Medtronic Philanthropy Grant

July 8, 2015 – St. Mary’s Health Clinics (SMHC) was one of 22 Minnesota-based nonprofit organizations to receive a $50,000 grant to help expand “healthcare services in underserved communities across the metropolitan area, with an emphasis on such chronic conditions as heart disease and diabetes.”

“We are grateful to Medtronic for this grant,” said SMHC executive director Melissa Gatten. “It will help us continue our work serving the medically underserved through our Diabetic Education Enhancement Program (DEEP) and in our clinics. We see first-hand the impact of chronic conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and cancer and we know that our work is helping make a difference.”

A related Medtronic release explained that grant recipients serve “a unique population or neighborhood, and will address barriers that cause health-related inequities within those communities.”

“At Medtronic, we are dedicated to improving lives by promoting the health of all worldwide, and this starts right here in the Twin Cities,” said Jacob A. Gayle, vice president of Medtronic Philanthropy. “We believe that attaining health equity benefits both those in greatest need, as well as the community at large. After all, everyone does better when everyone does better.”